We meet after six years, but walking into the dining room of the INDeco restaurant (Kumbakonam, where she was shooting for a serial), Asha Kelunni (yes, that’s actor Revathy) pauses and smiles a “Hello, I’ll join you.” A speed-dialled slide-show of her work, from Mouna Ragam, Magalir Mattum, Iruvar, Anjali, Ab Tak Chhappan, Phir Milenge, Osthe to Nishabd , Margarita with a Straw and 2 States runs through my mind, ending in a question: How does she manage to give uniformly excellent performances in such a variety of roles?
Her latest outing is in Azhagu , a teleserial for Sun TV, that will replace Vamsam at prime time. She had worked with ‘Vision Time’ Ramamurthy in the 90s when he sold TV space for her serials produced by Telephoto. Ramamurthy asked her if she would be interested in this serial written by Muthuselvam, directed by VC Ravi. “I liked the story and thought I’d give it a shot. So here I am, in a serial after a gap of 20 years.”
The storyline centres around a middle-class family in Kumbakonam. The teacher-father (Thalaivasal Vijay) and the home-maker-wife (Revathy) have five grown-up children. Parents and kids clash over generational differences on how a family is run. “I liked how the story had several layers to it.” Revathy is candid; it will be a slice-of-life-drama with “aspects of a serial”. “Life is drama, right? Women and college-going youngsters will relate to the issues discussed,” she says, adding, “College-going girls do watch TV serials, and they will be hooked once they connect with the characters.”
Her own role, Azhagammai, is sure to thrill her fans. TV is one medium that places women as central characters, she points out. “It’s not a single woman’s journey, yet she is the pivot of the family,” she reveals, adding that the storyline will also handle issues like peer pressure, workplace relationships and capitation fees.
Her return to TV rounds off what she describes as a “fantastic year”; her Pa Paandi, that was helmed by Dhanush, did well. “After a long time, I felt the actor in me was awakened.” Another project, Gulebakavali , with Prabhu Deva and Hansika, is a comedy slated for release in January, 2018. “My role is very different to what people have come to expect from me.” Any clue? “It’s a treasure hunt, but a comedy.”
She’s been behind the camera as well — as creative director for a sound and light installation on Ross Island, for the Andaman and Nicobar administration and the ITDC department. The multi-media show, based on the story of Ross, opened in October, 2014. Gulzar wrote it and narrated the Hindi version, while Shabana Azmi did the English narration. Resul Pookutty designed the sound for Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy’s music. “I thoroughly enjoyed the research and the technical aspect of the show.” A similar project on Swami Vivekananda is up next.
She takes a quizzical view of her profession. “In the 80s and 90s, women had better choices, better stories and directors. For Suhasini, Radhika and me, dieting was not an issue. The newcomers now have so many challenges — one of them being the need to be size-zero. I see broccoli and quinoa on their lunch menu.”
Her shot is called. “I have a four-year-old daughter, Mahi Asha,” she says in parting. “Being a parent is tough today. Mahi will be exposed to digi-tech, the devices, but I need to strike a balance between that and real-life experiences.”
